|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 6, 2014 11:29:52 GMT -5
I just picked up this Athearn Genesis GP15T CSX #1503, IMO Athearn did a great job on this model. There's so much detail already applied to it there's not a whole lot needed to add, grab irons, lift rings, windshield wipers, working cab windows, etc. There are a few things that are incorrect to the prototype but nothing to serious. I removed the horn from the cab that came on it and ordered the correct one that will get mounted on the long hood. CSX replaced the horn on the cab to the hood around 2 years ago according to pictures I've seen. I got this train on ebay and it had operating ditch lights installed on it. I don't know if they came from Athearn or if they were added by the person I bought it from. The wiring on them needs to be changed though front and rear are one function so forward or reverse all ditch lights stay on, I would also like to get them to alternate with the horn. Lastly would be to add a crew to the cab, lite weathering, paint the handrails on the front and rear pilots yellow remove the plastic chain and add a scale brass chain painted yellow and I might consider removing the classification light caps and adding "plates" then raise the CSX logo higher on the nose like the prototype, but that last one is a definite maybe. I ordered a Bluford Shops transfer caboose that I'll paint for CSX to go along with this engine for switching operations. But here it is out of the box (horn removed).
Heres a picture of the front of 1503, plated class lights, higher logo and all yellow handrails.
|
|
|
Post by diesel on Feb 7, 2014 12:20:09 GMT -5
That looks like fun! I like these units, smaller and different that others of it's time.
If you have the functions for it, consider setting the lights to each have it's own function. I have no idea of what the rules are for lighting on the real railroads but many times locos have both forward and reverse lights on during mainline runs and almost always when switching an industry. I think it's pretty toy-trainish to have the lights flip on and off when you move forward and backward.
I think lighting is optional in yards, but when I see NY&A switching at Fresh Pond Yard at night they have almost all the lights on. I will get pics of that next time I go!
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 7, 2014 14:37:26 GMT -5
I tried to fill in the hole that the horn was mounted in with Tamiya putty. I used a small piece of scrap styrene to spread it but it's pretty tough to work with. I tried cleaning up the excess putty but it dried and I'm not sure how to get it off. Anyone have tips on how to smooth it out? I should also receive the new horn in the mail today.
|
|
|
Post by Canadian Atlantic Railway on Feb 7, 2014 15:51:19 GMT -5
I tried to fill in the hole that the horn was mounted in with Tamiya putty. I used a small piece of scrap styrene to spread it but it's pretty tough to work with. I tried cleaning up the excess putty but it dried and I'm not sure how to get it off. Anyone have tips on how to smooth it out? I should also receive the new horn in the mail today. If you have some fine sandpaper dampen it and sand slowly and keep going in the same direction. That will smooth it off and then you can touch up the paint.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 7, 2014 16:43:24 GMT -5
If you have some fine sandpaper dampen it and sand slowly and keep going in the same direction. That will smooth it off and then you can touch up the paint. Thanks, I don't have any sand paper what number would you recommend?
|
|
|
Post by Canadian Atlantic Railway on Feb 7, 2014 16:58:35 GMT -5
If you have a hardware store close by I would pick up a sheet of the highest number you can find. For example if you had a choice of 150 or 220 get the 220.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 7, 2014 17:10:30 GMT -5
Correct horn got installed just waiting on paint.
|
|
|
Post by antlorch on Feb 8, 2014 8:59:59 GMT -5
Railnet is right about the sandpaper but I would start with 320 and go higher even. You don't want the sandpaper to course as it will dig into the plastic. And like he said you want to "wet" sand it, use water as that will keep the material from building up on the sandpaper and make the process go quicker.
|
|
milw199
Superintendent
Beaded crossbucks FTW
Posts: 180
|
Post by milw199 on Feb 8, 2014 11:42:04 GMT -5
That looks like fun! I like these units, smaller and different that others of it's time. If you have the functions for it, consider setting the lights to each have it's own function. I have no idea of what the rules are for lighting on the real railroads but many times locos have both forward and reverse lights on during mainline runs and almost always when switching an industry. I think it's pretty toy-trainish to have the lights flip on and off when you move forward and backward. I think lighting is optional in yards, but when I see NY&A switching at Fresh Pond Yard at night they have almost all the lights on. I will get pics of that next time I go! Probably need a six-function decoder to run the lights on this one. Each ditch light would need its own function to have flashing ditch lights. On these, the front and rear headlights have their own switch, off-dim-medium-bright. On pre-Dash-2 engines, front and rear have a slide switch for on-off, but a dimmer switch only allows bright lights in one direction. Ditch lights are railroad preference. Some have separate switches for front and rear, some have a switch that allows front or rear, but not both at the same time. Some are hooked up with the headlight switch, some headlight switches have an extra position for ditch light. The flashing ditch lights seem to activate with the horn, and stay flashing for 30 seconds after the horn is last blown. You may want to cut that down on a model. In a yard, should have dim lights on both ends, except on the end coupled to cars, or to not blind opposing trains.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 8, 2014 12:13:18 GMT -5
It already has a Tsunami sound decoder and it has 2 empty slots, functions 5 & 6. F5 does both ditch lights so I should be able to move the rear ditch lights to F6. I won't get to in depth with which railroad operates their lights in a certain way, mine will operate independently with F5 & F6. I was thinking of shortening the alternating flash time to 10-15 seconds, I agree 30 seconds is way to long in HO seconds.
|
|
|
Post by diesel on Feb 9, 2014 16:35:48 GMT -5
If you find you need extra functions to get what you want I believe you can wire in a function only decoder and have your extra lighting effects. I think lights are an extra, I just didn't know how far you wanted to go.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 26, 2014 7:14:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by m a y o r 79 on Feb 27, 2014 16:11:53 GMT -5
Looks nice. A little weathering should nlend it all together nicely. Everything is always a little dusty and dirty unless your trying to model the day it was delivered.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Feb 28, 2014 9:32:31 GMT -5
I agree, it's the yellow thats annoying me though. It's pretty much the first thing you see and the color difference is really noticeable, maybe ill try to darken it up a little. I also added yellow trim to the grab irons on the nose, a little rough but i free handed it so it'll have to do.
|
|
|
Post by antlorch on Feb 28, 2014 9:55:51 GMT -5
Have you tried UP Armor Yellow, that might be closer to a match.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Mar 2, 2014 9:44:22 GMT -5
Have you tried UP Armor Yellow, that might be closer to a match. No I haven't, who makes it?
|
|
|
Post by antlorch on Mar 2, 2014 16:18:34 GMT -5
I think all the major paint manufactors like Floquil, Polyscale, etc make some.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Mar 3, 2014 17:30:07 GMT -5
I'll give it a try thank you.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Mar 6, 2014 12:01:58 GMT -5
Couldn't find the UP Yellow but doing a search brought me to CSX New Image Gold so I ordered that hopefully it's a match.
|
|
|
Post by rscott417 on Mar 16, 2014 8:34:51 GMT -5
CSX new image gold is a perfect match, thanks for the tip antlorch.
|
|